By the numbers: A running look at some of the department initiatives in Kalispell’s $46.8 million budget proposed for next fiscal year.

The Kalispell Building Department proposes to start issuing electrical permits and launch a Web-based permit application system as part of its $379,019 budget request.

City officials looked at launching an electrical permitting program a little more than two years ago.

“We contacted the primary contractors in the valley to let them know and ask for comments,” Planning Director Tom Jentz told the Kalispell City Council at a recent budget workshop. “They had two. They wanted the program to be seamless and Web-based permitting. Beyond that, they didn’t care.”

Electrical codes are adopted by the state of Montana. State inspectors handle permits and inspections in Kalispell and other jurisdictions without electrical permitting programs. Cities are free to adopt the state’s codes and handle the permits and inspections themselves. Most have chosen to do so.

“We are the only large city in Montana that does not,” Jentz said. “Whitefish and Columbia Falls both handle their own programs. They’ve done it for 20 years as far as I know. Kalispell is the anomaly.”

Two of Kalispell’s building inspectors are certified for electrical inspections. “So we have the staff to do it,” Jentz said.

The initiative means building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits and inspections would all be done in-house and make for a smoother, more thorough process, Jentz said.

“It makes it a one-stop shop so the contractor can talk to the same guys doing all the other inspections at an office in Kalispell. Coordination is key. It’s disjointed now because we’re missing a key spot.”

THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT’S budget proposal includes a $50,000 line item to buy software to implement a Web-based permit application system from the company Cityworks. With approval of the budget this summer, that permitting system should be up and running by the end of this calendar year.

“Our program now is a 1999 Excel-based spreadsheet. The guy who made it for us will not support it, and some of our own computers will not support it,” Jentz said.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.